A Little Birdie Told Me
by bellesexual
Summary: While aboard the Seahawk, Tony becomes firm friends with a sailor named Marcus Bird, which results in some shock when Gibbs and Ziva come aboard. TIVA Final chapter up: when disaster strikes our favourite couple, will it be too much for them to handle?
1. Chapter 1

A Little Birdie Told Me

**Summary: While aboard the Seahawk, Tony becomes firm friends with a sailor named Marcus Bird, which results in some shock when Gibbs and Ziva come aboard. Spoilers for Agent Afloat.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except Marcus Bird. **

"Welcome to my little slice of heaven," Tony said to his friends through gritted teeth, clearly not happy to be back on the Seahawk.

"Cute," Ziva stated. Gibbs was quiet.

The three headed through the narrow halls of the ship, passing sailor after sailor, but Tony stopped when they came across one man in particular. He was black, about Tony's height.

"Hey, Bird-man!" he said cheerfully, patting the man on the back. The man grinned.

"Bird-man?" Ziva mouthed to Gibbs, confused.

"Guys, this is Marcus Bird, one of the few people on this damned boat that doesn't make _me _wanna jump overboard," Tony said.

"That's not funny, man," Marcus said. He turned to Gibbs and Ziva and shook their hands.

"Special Agent Gibbs," Gibbs told Marcus.

Marcus smiled. "And you're Ziva. Tony's told me a lot about you."

Tony froze. _Busted. _Ziva smiled at him. "Really?"

"Oh yeah, tons..." he caught Tony's eye. "But I have to go now."

As the three continued walking, Ziva gave Tony a questioning look. He ignored it and the subject was eventually dropped. But of course, that was before Ziva saw the pictures.

"What are those doing up there?" she demanded.

"Uh, funny thing that, um..." he stuttered, then just walked away completely, not being able to think of a good comeback.

Ziva was thinking, _Damn, I look hot in that bikini, _when Marcus walked in the room. At first, she greeted him with a simple smile, but then she remembered him.

"Marcus."

"Ziva, hi," he replied. "I see you busted Tony for the pictures. If it helps, he won't let anyone else look at 'em, and if they do, he gives 'em a real hard, swift slap across the back of the head."

Ziva smiled. _I wonder where he learnt that. _She didn't dare to ask what Tony had said about her, but Marcus seemed to sense it.

"He must really like you. He's got a lot of respect for you, you know? Doesn't objectify you, ever like some guys on this boat. He tells some pretty damn good stories about you, and sometimes even the rest of your team. Too bad the others don't like him, he's a good guy, but of course you know that. He doesn't stop talking about you, your great looks, sense of humour, your eyes, your hair, it's something different most nights. He really misses his girl."

Ziva wasn't sure what to say. His girl? She wasn't his girl, she wasn't anybody's girl. Tony didn't...did he? He couldn't, no, she was jumping to conclusions.

"I gotta tell you," Marcus continued. "When I first met Tony, he seemed like more of a ladies' man, you know, a player, but he's really committed to you."

Marcus stopped talking when Tony came through the door, behind Ziva. She turned to see what he was looking at and saw him. "Speak of the devil."

"I'll give you two a moment," Marcus said politely.

When she was sure Marcus was gone, Ziva began to 'investigate'. All she had to do was raise an eyebrow.

"Look, whatever Marcus told you...what exactly did Marcus tell you?"

"Oh, plenty, Tony," Ziva replied. She sighed. "I, uh, missed you." OK, it sounded a little more romantic than she wanted but it was the truth.

"I missed you too." Ziva looked in his emerald eyes. What made them sparkle the way they did? Was it love? Love for her? She wasn't sure she wanted to find out. Her life was complicated enough without this. It wasn't that she didn't have feelings for Tony; it's just that she was able to hide them extremely well, mainly because she was sure he didn't feel the same way. She didn't want the fact that they hadn't seen each other in four months make her think irrationally.

"This is for you," she said, handing him a cardboard box. "From me and Abby. It was her idea."

"Thanks." Tony ripped open the box, and the first thing he pulled out was an A4 size greeting card with messages from everyone in the team written in there.

_We miss you Tony! I know Gibbs will have you back soon but until then please try to behave yourself and don't forget to keep in touch! Love Abby x_

_DiNozzo, I'll do my best to get you back in DC. Abby's been nagging me for it. It's pretty boring without you. –Gibbs_

_Hey Tony, I actually miss having you around. It's so...quiet around here. Oh well, I hope you're doing OK, from what I've heard it sucks on that boat. A lot. Anyway, don't jump overboard, we need you here. –McGee_

_Anthony, please enjoy this experience, however boring it may appear. I remember once in my youth, I—not quite enough room to finish that story. Perhaps I will tell you when you return. Hopefully that will be soon! –Ducky _

_Dear Tony,  
I really miss your company, your jokes, even your movie references. I'm not so good at making fun of McGee, so even that business has sort of grinded to a halt. I really hope you come back soon. The team doesn't feel...complete. –Ziva_

Tony was glad there was no message from Vance. He loved the card, but it made him miss dry land even more than he already did. This wasn't for him, and it was why he became a cop and not a marine. He dug eagerly through the box and found a plastic container of cupcakes. There were seven in there, some chocolate, some strawberry, some plain, they all looked delicious. Each one was iced beautifully and had one letter of his name painted on.

"Do you like them?" Ziva asked. "I made them myself. I made seven because, if you eat one a day, that should be enough before Gibbs gets you back in DC."

Tony sank his teeth into the 'A' cupcake. It was cooked to perfection and the creamy icing was a perfect complement to the moist fluffy quality of the cake itself. He devoured it within seconds.

"Thanks Ziva, they're amazing. You're a good cook."

"Hardly. They're just cupcakes, it's not like I have angry skills like some chefs."

Tony frowned, not sure what she meant. "Oh, you mean mad skills."

"Does it make a difference? They are both emotions, are they not?"

"Yeah, but—" Tony realised this was pointless and kept going through the contents of his 'care package.'

The next thing he pulled out was his magazine collection. He was grateful that the girls had sent this for him, but not overly happy they had gone through his desk. And finally, there was an envelope of photos taken over the past four months, including a few of Ziva is a sleeveless, green, short, sequined dress, next to Abby in a cocktail dress and fishnet stockings with knee-high black leather boots. Tony let out a low wolf whistle when he saw them.

"Maybe now you can update your photo collection," Ziva suggested.

Tony shrugged. "Or add to it."

Ziva decided to confront him now rather than later. "Tony, did you tell Marcus I was your...girlfriend?"

"Kinda. Sorry. To be honest, I never thought you two would be in the same room. I just saw all the other guys with pictures of their girls and I figured, you're a girl and I miss you a lot, so why not?"

"Oh. Well, if we're being honest, I spend most days staring at your desk and jump at the sound of your name, so I guess we're even."

"Thanks for understanding." Tony smiled, but it wasn't his famous comical grin, it was a genuine, yet infinitely complicated, smile.

"Sure." Ziva smiled back and then left the room to find Gibbs. When she reached the door she turned around so she could look at him just one more time. It had been a long four months, and she wasn't going to be on the Seahawk long. There was always a chance Tony would have to finish his time aboard as promised, and she wanted to get as many memories of him to tide her over as possible.

Tony hummed the theme from 'Titanic' as he put the photos of Abby and Ziva on his patch of wall. He searched through the huge chunk of them he had been given. There must be more he could put up. Indeed, there was a few of just Ziva and one of Abby grinning at the camera. Thank God for Abby's caring-too-much attitude. He might just be able to survive another three months now, he just hoped and prayed that he wouldn't have to.

**A/N: Reviews would be lovely, and also if it's not too much trouble, what was your favourite part/line? Thanks!**

**Superashy8**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey people, sorry this chapter took a while! Hooray to me for finally getting through the whole first season of NCIS on DVD! Just seasons two and three to go and I would have seen EVERY EPISODE! Not that I hadn't seen any from the first three seasons, just not many of them. Am I the only one that has an issue with Tony's hair? Especially when they go to Cuba and there's an iguana or something in his room. That has got to be one of the funniest moments ever! Thanks to anyone who reviewed! Here is my next chapter! BTW I don't think Tony really had his own room aboard the Seahawk, but for the sake of the story let's pretend he did.**

Countless wolf whistles greeted Ziva when she stepped out of Tony's room. She ignored them, knowing that whatever she did would wind them up further. Tony soon jumped out and shut them up, giving them his best glare. He was shocked at his easily triggered jealousy. Had he always been this way? He hoped not.

Ziva walked away and Marcus entered seconds later. Tony greeted him with a 'hey'.

"You alright, man?" Marcus asked his friend.

"Yeah, fine," Tony replied.

"Everything alright with Ziva?"

"I guess so." He paused. "I lied to you. She's not my girlfriend, she's my co-worker. Our boss would kill us if we started dating. He has a major issue with it."

Marcus chuckled.

"You're not mad?" Tony asked, a little shocked.

"No, man, I see your reasons." He made an hourglass shape with his hands.

It took a lot of Tony's strength not to get up and grab Marcus by the scruff of the neck at that moment. "Don't objectify Ziva," he said through clenched teeth. "She's worth more than that."

He chuckled again. "Sorry. But you see why I'm laughing."

"No. Care to share the joke?"

"Oh, come on! Isn't it obvious? You're in love with her!"

"I...no...Marcus...Ziva..."

"Dude, give it up. Who cares what your boss thinks? You're getting desperate and I hate to say it, but I think the four months of separation did you two some good. She's leaving soon, and you might not see her for another three months. The time you two have spent apart has been pretty miserable. You hate it here. Three more months of agony isn't gonna do either one of you any good. Go tell her how you feel."

"It's not that simple."

"It's never that simple, DiNozzo."

"But it really isn't! You don't get it..."

"What's not to get? OK, so I have never been in love, but I sure as hell have watched enough romance movies to know what it looks like, and that's it! Are you denying you have feelings for her?"

Tony wasn't sure what to say. "I-I don't know, I-I g-guess I've just tried to hide it so hard that maybe I've hidden it from myself."

"Then _go tell her!_"

"I can't. Will you do it for me? You know, ask some questions, find out how she feels, stuff like that? I don't want to make an idiot out of myself."

"Sure, man, I can do that."

Later, Marcus managed to locate Ziva after a half hour of searching. He called to her, waving. She was sitting at a table in the cafeteria alone; munching on some kind of biscuit the cook had given her. She was in the same quiet mood as Tony had been in.

"Hello Marcus," she said, looking at him over her shoulder.

"Hi. Um, so I was just wondering..." he searched his brain for a way to conduct his 'questionnaire'. "Are you and Tony going OK?"

Ziva quickly made up a lie. "Yes, we're going wonderfully. Approaching our six month anniversary, but of course we knew each other long before that."

"Yeah, I know. Do you...love him?"

Ziva was not at all hesitant or shy with her answer. "Yes, of course I love him. I love him more than anything."

"That's really sweet, but I know it's just an act."

Ziva's cheeks flushed.

"Do you love him for real?"

"You know, it's strange because I only met you today, and already I feel like I've known you for years."

"Yeah, I have that effect on people." His voice was gentle. It ebbed and flowed like the sea at low tide.

"But I do not want to talk about it," she finished. "If Tony and I had any hope, we would be together by now."

"Don't say that. There's always hope. He loves you. He loves you so much, Ziva." He took Ziva's hand.

"He does?"

"Yes, and he's just trying to be careful with your feelings. Go talk to him. You don't know how long you have left together before you might have to leave without him."

Inspired by Marcus' talk, Ziva almost ran to Tony's room, but he had just been leaving, so the two collided. Hard. They landed in a crumpled heap on the floor of the bedroom.

"Way to make an entrance," Tony wheezed as Ziva lay on top of him. She rolled off.

"Sorry. Are you alright?"

"Yeah, never better. You?"

"Fine."

There was an awkward silence. Both of them knew exactly what to say, just not how to say it. Ziva stood up and shut the door so they could talk in peace. Unfortunately, Tony had just locked the door as he had been leaving, and he had dropped his keys when he fell. The walls and doors were thick, almost soundproof. There were no gaps between the door and the floor. It was dinnertime now, and that always lasted at least an hour, as the sailors aboard usually couldn't stop flapping their gums to eat, even when they were starving. Tony had a small room to himself, so no one would have to come in there to sleep. There was no real way to contact anyone. They were trapped.

Tony. Ziva. Trapped in a small room for goodness knows how long. Not only that, but they had to share it with an elephant. Great. 

**So, what do you think? Please review! I would love it if you did, and a happy me makes for new chapters faster! ;) **


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello, friends! Sorry for the delay. I had SO much homework and was just really tired. Anyway, I get that they probably couldn't lock themselves in a room, but for the sake of the story, let's pretend they could. Please enjoy!**

Tony shook the door violently, trying to escape.

"I didn't realise my company was that unbearable, Tony," Ziva said, sitting on his bed with her arms folded over her chest.

He stopped and came to sit beside her. "It's not that. It's just that we're...you know, stuck in here."

They looked at each other, and they both had the same thought, but they wouldn't dare to do any more than that. Ziva's fingers gripped the covers on the bed tightly as she continued to hold Tony's gaze. She watched him until her eyes began to water and she blinked several times to stop them from doing so.

"Ha! You blinked, I win!" Tony exclaimed. Ziva smiled.

"You are—"

"Such a child, I know," he finished for her. "It's all part of my charm."

"What if we don't get out of here?"

"Ziva, Gibbs is bound to notice we're gone."

"Yeah, but his room is, like, a mile away. We could be anywhere on the ship."

"Wouldn't my room be the first place he'd check?"

"Maybe for you, but probably not for me. He would come here once he saw I was not in my room, but that does not necessarily mean he will be able to get us out."

"Someone just has to walk past and get my keys, and they can get us out."

"That might not be true. Those keys could be to any room on the ship for someone who doesn't know. And what would you do if you found keys on this ship?"

"Well, I don't know. I'd probably just leave them."

"Exactly."

"Look, I'm trying to be positive here. Think happy thoughts."

"_I'll give you happy thoughts," _Ziva thought. She had been waiting a half hour. Now seemed like a good time to finally have the conversation she had been planning to have when she arrived.

"I talked to Marcus," she said.

That caught his _full _attention. "Really?"

"Why couldn't you just tell me yourself?" she wasn't shy to ask at all. It was the only way to find out anything.

"I was scared. You would have done the same thing in my situation."

"No, I have been holding it in. But I'm so glad you decided not to." Her lips attacked hers and she gripped him tightly. Tony soon fully realised what was happening and put both arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him. He kissed her neck and she collapsed backward on the bed, Tony on top of her this time.

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Ziva?" Tony said, reluctantly pulling away.

"No, but sometimes you have to take a chance."

That was enough for Tony. But he respected her, and would not do anything stupid until he was sure they were both ready. After the original excitement had worn off, they talked for hours. They took a trip back in time, re-visited moments they missed the first time, memories they had forgotten, found the secret meanings of every word uttered. It was enlightening. But those words, those three, simple, magical words were not once uttered.

A loud knock on the door made Tony jump so much that he almost fell off the bed.

"DiNozzo! It's Gibbs! Is Ziva with you?" was Gibbs' muffled yell through the door.

"Yeah, Boss, Ziva's with me! Could you open the door?" Tony yelled back.

"What?"

"Open the door!"

Tony heard keys jingle and the lock click and suddenly they were free.

"What did you say, DiNozzo?"

"Oh, thank you Boss!" Tony exclaimed.

"How long have you two been stuck in here?"

Tony looked at his watch. "Six hours."

"Jeez, what happened?"

"It's a long story, Boss."

"You didn't...did you? What have you two been doing?"

"For six hours? Taking shifts banging against the door. Now if you'll all excuse me, I have to pee."

Tony ran out of the room and Gibbs sat next to Ziva on the bed.

"What really happened?" Gibbs asked in a non-demanding way. So, he was being friendly. Ziva still wasn't going to tell the truth.

"Well, he tried to knock the door down but eventually I talked him out of it, luckily before he gave himself a concussion."

"Then?"

"Then we just talked."

"You talked?"

"Yeah, we are co-workers and—" she almost choked on this word—"friends. It is quite easy to have a conversation of that length when there are no interruptions."

"So nothing inappropriate happened?"

Ziva laughed. "You sound like a big brother. And don't you trust me? Just because you're alone with someone in a small space, doesn't mean something has to happen. I've been stuck in smaller spaces for longer amounts of time for longer than this. Why would this be an exception?"

"Well, it's DiNozzo. He is the exception."

"Gibbs, believe me, nothing happened."

He frowned, but was convinced. "Come on, it's late. You should get to bed."

Ziva looked around the room, and didn't want to leave, but she had no choice. She couldn't put her own desires before the risk of Gibbs finding about his agents' new-found romance. But at least now, no matter what happened, she would have something that could keep her going for three months if it needed to.

**A/N: So, what do you think? Please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Again, sorry for the delay. I have quite a few stories going at once...not a smart thing to do. So, this week is a normal week (which will hopefully involve a fair bit of writing as I have almost no homework!) but next week I will be away and busy. I don't think I will get much done then but the week after I should get quite a bit done. Just letting you know. Also I just wanted to apologise for the juvenility of Tony and Ziva in previous chapters. Major fluffiness and slight OOC-ness for this chapter! Review! **

Ziva's head was spinning as she travelled through the ship.

_I am crazy, _she told herself. _Utterly and completely insane._

It was late. Well actually it was early. Almost four in the morning. Ziva's brain wasn't fully functioning. It was her heart that was causing her movement towards Tony's room. The sound of her knuckles tapping against the door woke her from her trance. Tony pulled the door open, his hair sticking up in all directions as it always did after he had been asleep, and his squinty expression turned into a wide grin.

"Ziva," he whispered. "What's up?"

"I couldn't sleep," she said, shivering. She was only wearing her pyjamas—long black pants with a grey singlet—and the ship wasn't very warm.

He didn't speak; he just stepped aside for her to enter.

"Thanks." She sat on the edge of his bed. "I hope I'm not irritating you, Tony."

"What? No, course not."

"I just keep thinking that you might not be coming home with Gibbs and me and I don't want to leave knowing I haven't made the most of this opportunity to see you." She pulled a blanket from the bed and wrapped herself in it. Tony turned on a lamp, which glowed golden in the darkness. Then he sat down on the other end of the bed, watching her.

Ziva tucked her knees under her chin and stared at the wall, and the light gave her skin an unworldly glow and her eyes sparkled so much that Tony thought she might be crying. It was taking so much for him to not embrace her and kiss her. Ziva could tell he was resisting, she just wished he wouldn't.

"Why are you doing this to yourself?" she asked softly, not looking at him.

"Doing what?" he replied, his gaze floating over her.

"Taking things so slow. What are you so worried about?"

Now that she had brought it up, he slid a little closer to her, which only made resisting her more difficult. He took her hand.

"Because," he whispered. "I can't lose you." He looked down, as if he was ashamed, weak.

"Tony, I am not going anywhere. At least not if I can help it."

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean. We are federal agents, Tony. We have to lay our lives on the line every day."

"That's exactly why I want to take things slow."

"But what if it were to happen...say, tomorrow? Wouldn't you wonder 'what if'?"

"I've wondered that for three years now." He smiled but it didn't quite reach his eyes.

"But it would be different if I died."

"Don't say that," he whispered, shutting his eyes.

"You would never be able to find out what it would be like."

He was silent, thinking, waiting for her to say something else.

Ziva turned to face him fully and cupped his face in her hands. "You can find out now."

He opened his mouth to object, but not before he could feel the soft touch of her lips. Immediately, all thoughts left his head.

"Ziva..." he started, using all his strength.

"Tony, please," she stopped him. "We need this."

Tony's kiss was enough agreement.

...

Ziva fell asleep in Tony's arms. He felt her soft breathing, the rise and fall of her chest as she slept, the beat of her heart, her warmth. He never thought something like this would mean so much, but it was unlike anything else in the world; it was right. The woman he loved was asleep in his arms, and she had come to him last night, asking for him. He started to drift off into a dream, picturing them together...how was it going to work? Would their love for each other get them through everything that would inevitably be thrown at them? Did she even love him? She had not said it. Tony's heart started to race, his grip on Ziva tightened, which awoke her from her extremely light slumber.

"Sorry, Ziva, I didn't mean to wake you," Tony told her.

"It is fine," she replied, not sounding one bit tired. "What is wrong?"

"Why would something be wrong?"

She pressed a hand against his chest and felt his heartbeat. "Now, I'm no Ducky but I know that even I don't make your heart beat that fast." She smiled lopsidedly. "Will you tell me what is bothering you?"

He kissed her hair. "Do you love me, Ziva?"

She jumped out of his arms. "What?"

"I think you heard me."

"Tony, what kind of question is that? Of course I love you. What's got you so worried? Like I said, I'm not going anywhere." She stroked his cheek.

"I'm sorry, Ziva. I guess I just had to hear it, you know, aloud. And I love you too, so much."

She actually blushed a little. For a minute, she thought they were going to kiss but then...

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs' voice was loud and clear through the door, not like last time he had yelled through it. "Up and at 'em! We're going home!"

Tony punched the air before he realised the trouble he was in. "Hide," he mouthed to Ziva. She clearly wasn't too fond of the idea, but for her own good, crawled under the bed.

"Tony!" Gibbs yelled again through the door. "Will you let me in?" He bashed the door with his fist before Tony opened it.

"Hey, Boss," he greeted, noting Gibbs' stone-cold expression.

"Have you seen Ziva?"

"No, I don't know where she is. She told me she wasn't feeling too well last night. Might have gone to get some pills or something."

Gibbs ignored him and stepped into the room. Tony was about to tell him that Ziva wasn't in here when he figured that would look suspicious.

"Well, tell me if you see her," Gibbs said.

"Will do, Boss." Tony saluted.

"And pack your stuff."

Tony was so happy to be going back to DC. "Thank you!"

Gibbs closed the door behind him and Tony helped Ziva out from under the bed. Then the door clicked again.

"Oh, and by the way, DiNozzo..." Gibbs started. Then he saw his agents standing there and crossed his arms over his chest. He stepped into the room and shut the door behind him. "You two have a lot of explaining to do."

**A/N: Favourite part/line would be lovely, but a review itself would be just as nice. Was it fluffy enough? Heehee. OK, so bye!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thanks for reviews! Here is the next chapter. Marcus Bird will make a return appearance. **

_Last time...  
Gibbs closed the door behind him and Tony helped Ziva out from under the bed. Then the door clicked again._

"_Oh, and by the way, DiNozzo..." Gibbs started. Then he saw his agents standing there and crossed his arms over his chest. He stepped into the room and shut the door behind him. "You two have a lot of explaining to do."_

"I'm waiting," Gibbs said impatiently. His two agents stood in front of him, still and silent, as they had been for several minutes now. Tony's arm was around Ziva's shoulder, and her hands were against his chest. They clung onto each other, furious with themselves for getting caught, and a little freaked out, to be perfectly honest. "How long has this been going on?" Gibbs demanded. "Weeks? Months?"

"Days," Tony murmured.

"Days?" Gibbs echoed. "You mean to tell me that you hooked up when we got here?"

"That's right, Gibbs," Ziva said.

"OK," he bit his lip, still not comfortable with the situation. "But why now? Was it the separation?"

Tony and Ziva exchanged a glance, not sure what to say. "It w-was the separation b-but..." Tony began, interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Tony!" Marcus' cheerful call rang throughout the room as he poked his head into the abnormally quiet room. Three stares—one icy and two that said 'this is not a good time'—greeted him. "I'll come back later."

Gibbs caught the eyes of his agents and a theory came together inside his head. He promptly grabbed Marcus' arm and pulled him back into the room.

"This have something to do with you, Marcus?" he asked.

"Um, I...uh—"

"Will you spit it out already?"

"Don't blame him, Boss," Tony cut in. "He was just being a good friend."

"By hooking you two up? I don't think so," Gibbs growled, pointing to the door. "I'll deal with you later," he told Marcus.

"Gibbs, please. Don't be like this," Ziva said. "If you're going to blame someone, then don't blame Marcus, and don't blame Tony. Blame me. I initiated everything, and that is not me trying to protect anyone. It's the truth. What happened last night only happened because I asked for it."

"Wait, you asked for it? It wasn't DiNozzo?" Gibbs was becoming more surprised by the minute.

"Why do you sound so surprised, Gibbs?" she sneered. "I am a grown woman who can make her own decisions."

"It's just not like you, Ziva."

"You don't know that, Gibbs. You know me as your agent, and that's all."

That hurt Gibbs a little. Was that all Ziva thought of him?

"Look, Boss," Tony interrupted before Ziva could say any more. "We both value you and consider you an important person in both our lives but I've come to realise that this relationship is the one thing I've had missing in my life for a long time. So right now, that's what comes first. I'm happy for it to be tied with our jobs, but right now your rules aren't a priority. At least not the ones that tell us how to live our lives."

"Glad that's how you feel, DiNozzo."

"Boss, I know it sounds cliché, but I..." he looked at Gibbs, then Ziva, then back to Gibbs. He held Ziva closer to him as if she might slip away from him. "I love Ziva. And if that's a problem for you then, I'm sorry, but I don't care."

Silence filled the room and suspense grew with every second that passed. After what felt like hours, Gibbs simply turned around and left, not even looking at Marcus, who decided that it might be a good idea to wait outside the door. Tony informed him he was leaving, and Marcus wished the couple luck and told them to keep in touch.

He did not speak to his agents all the way back to DC and as a result of that, they did not speak to each other. Finally, once they had arrived at their destination, Gibbs gave them one simple order:

"Go home, get some rest, come back tomorrow morning for work. Oh, and by 'home' I meant 'your own apartments'."

They both nodded and once he was out of sight, they dared to utter a word.

"It's not gonna be easy," Tony sighed.

"When will you learn, Tony," Ziva began. "That nothing good comes easily?"

He smiled and kissed her cheek. "You're so right. And it's probably a good idea to do what Gibbs says."

"Why would we start now?" Ziva said seductively, kissing him deeply. Tony wanted her, but he was hesitant. He didn't want Gibbs to make everything difficult for them. Until they could find a compromise, he was afraid that sneaking around behind his back might make things worse. But Ziva wasn't exactly making it easy for him, her face only inches from his, and her dark brown eyes pleading.

"I don't believe it," he said, shaking his head. "You're trying to do puppy dog eyes on me. Don't try to compete with me, Ziva, I'll win." He stuck his bottom lip out and said in a funny voice, "kiss me, pweeease?"

Ziva laughed and indeed kissed him.

"Told you I was good," he said, satisfied with himself.

"Tony, come back with me to my apartment. Spend the night." She realised how clingy she was being. "Unless you don't want to, in which case—"

"Ziva, you have no idea how much I want to, but I really don't think it's a good idea."

She sighed. "I suppose you're right. You just bring out a wild side in me, Tony," she said. She was joking. Sort of.

"Now you're teasing me," he told her. "Wouldn't be a first time."

"No, it wouldn't."

Tony paused for a moment, then asked, "Ziva, are we gonna tell the others? You know, Abby, McGee, Ducky?"

"I don't know. We'll cross that road when we come to it."

"You mean 'bridge'."

"If you say so. I think it works either way."

Tony grinned. "I'm gonna miss you, Ziva."

"Where are you going?"

"To my place, and you should do the same."

"Oh," Ziva said, a little disappointed that she wouldn't be spending the night with Tony. "See you tomorrow then."

"What are you talking about? I want you to come back to my place. I just feel like sleeping in my own bed."

Ziva said nothing, just walked by Tony's side to his car, holding his hand.

_Oh, we won't be sleeping, _she thought.

**A/N: Did you like it? It was kinda fluffy, I know, but I wanted to get something out before I go on holiday. I might be able to write something on Thursday, but not before then, sadly. Anyway, I am going to go to bed now. reviews and such would be wonderful!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hello, I'm back with a brand new chapter! Sorry it took so long. I just got Facebook and I'm currently addicted to Icy Tower. Also warning for mild language in this one. Nothing worse than on the show. Anyway, enjoy!**

_Last time..._

"_Go home, get some rest, come back tomorrow morning for work. Oh, and by 'home' I meant 'your own apartments'," Gibbs ordered._

_They both nodded and once he was out of sight, they dared to utter a word._

"_I'm gonna miss you, Ziva," Tony said._

"_Where are you going?"_

"_To my place, and you should do the same."_

"_Oh," Ziva said, a little disappointed that she wouldn't be spending the night with Tony. "See you tomorrow then."_

"_What are you talking about? I want you to come back to my place. I just feel like sleeping in my own bed."_

_Ziva said nothing, just walked by Tony's side to his car, holding his hand. _

'_Oh, we won't be sleeping,' she thought._

Gibbs was in a bad mood when the two of them arrived together the next morning. As soon as they stepped out of the elevator he grumbled something and left the room. McGee looked at them, confused.

"Do you guys have any idea what's wrong with Gibbs?" he asked. "I haven't seen him this pissed in a long time."

They both looked at each other, stifling a laugh at McGee's obliviousness and said in unison: "No."

But he saw the cheeky grins on their faces.

"What did you two do?"

They both simply sat down at their desks, both enjoying having a little secret to keep from McGee. But for how long would they keep it a secret? How would they tell everyone? Should they tell anyone at all? What if Eli found out? It wasn't very pleasant last time he thought they were sleeping together.

In any event, McGee didn't know a thing, but he was determined to get to the bottom of this.

Tony figured that Abby was the person to ask about getting on Gibbs' good side, so when Gibbs and McGee left to follow a lead on the team's current case, he headed up to her lab.

"Hi, Tony!" she greeted cheerfully, her pigtails swishing. "What can I do for you?"

"I need your advice," Tony replied.

"What's this? Tony asking me for advice?"

"How can I get on Gibbs' good side again?"

"You've worked with him a long time, Tony. You've screwed up enough times that you should know by now."

"This time it's different. I have no idea what to do."

"How is this time different? I'll admit he did seem really crabby when he came up here before. He didn't even bring me a Caf-POW! But what could you have by yourself that is this bad?"

"Well, that's the thing. It wasn't just me." He paused.

"Tony, if you want me to help you, you're gonna have to tell me the whole story."

"How much time do you have?" he asked, meaning it was a long story.

"Oh boy." Abby inhaled and exhaled deeply. "OK, go."

Tony told her everything from the moment Ziva got on the Seahawk to when they arrived at work that morning. When it was over, Abby, was speechless, which was saying something.

"I love her, Abby. You're the first one I've told. Directly, at least."

She nodded. "I can, uh, see how you've got yourself in quite a pickle."

"Yeah, can you help?"

"Well, I think you need to prove to him that just because you and Ziva can still work together and solve cases now that you're...you know."

"Sure. Thanks, Abs. And please don't tell anyone about this," Tony said as he walked out of the door.

"Just when I thought I had those two figured out," Abby said to herself.

"Abby!" McGee called, jogging into her lab.

"McGee? What's got you in such a knot?" Abby said, taking a step back from Tim, who was now leaning against her lab table, panting.

"Abby, I'm dying here. Please help me. What the hell is Tony up to?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes you do. Come on, please? Tony won't tell me anything, and you know Ziva. They're hiding something."

"I'm sorry, McGee, I promised not to tell anyone anything."

"So you admit they told you!"

"But you're not going to find out what it is," Abby said, returning to her work. "Now go away."

McGee huffed and stormed out the door.

"There must be something I can do," he said to himself. Then a light bulb lit up inside his head and he raced back to the bullpen.

"Hello, McGee," Ziva said calmly when he returned.

"Hi, Ziva," he said distractedly, jumping onto his computer.

He immediately tapped into NCIS security camera footage, looking at the history for Abby's lab, rewound it fifteen minutes and plugged his iPod headphones into his computer.

"What are you doing?" Ziva asked, getting out of her chair and strolling over to his desk. He was so absorbed in the footage, he did not hear her. She yanked the headphones out of his ears when he did not reply.

"McGee!" she snapped.

He promptly closed the video and turned to face her.

"Yes, Ziva?" he replied timidly, still before he had hear anything about Tony and Ziva's relationship.

"_What _are you doing?" she repeated.

He said nothing once again.

"I know you are up to something. What is it you are so desperate to find out?"

"What you and Tony have done to piss Gibbs off so much."

Ziva blinked, surprised at this reply. "What makes you think Gibbs is pissed off?"

He just looked at her as if to say, _Are you blind?_

"OK, I will give you that one but what makes you think I did it? If anyone was to do something it would be Tony, right?" She knew that making a negative comment about Tony would distract McGee about the problem, or at least take away his sense to think of that possibility.

"Well, usually I would assume it was Tony but he's being pretty decent to me, which only leaves me with the conclusion, that both of you have screwed up, and it's been bad."

"'Screwed' is the right word," Ziva said through her teeth.

"What?"

"Nothing." Ziva sat back down at her desk just as Tony entered the room. McGee ignored him.

"Tony, where have you been?" Ziva asked.

"Everywhere, but mainly Abby's lab."

"You told Abby?"

"You said it was OK."

"I know. How did she take it?"

"She was surprised, actually, which surprised _me. _I thought she would have expected it."

"OK, will you two please tell me what 'it' is?" McGee snapped.

Tony and Ziva exchanged a glance. They had discussed ways to tell McGee on their way to work that morning.

"You wanna know, McGee? You wanna be in the loop?" Tony asked playfully.

"Just tell me. I'm sick of all these games."

"Is Gibbs around?" Ziva asked.

"Not right now," Tony replied. "I was in Autopsy about to talk to Ducky when Gibbs walked in and Ducky said he had 'much to tell him'. He should be down there for a few minutes."

"Brace yourself, McGee," Ziva warned.

Tony and Ziva gripped each other—his hands on her waist and her arms around his neck—and they kissed, deeply and fully, right in front of McGee. His eyes widened so far he thought they might pop out of his head. Tony and Ziva knew it was dangerous, but they both figured they would only get to tell McGee this once; they may as well do it in style. They broke apart and returned to their work as if nothing had happened. Ziva giggled at McGee's blank stare.

"That's one way to tell him," Gibbs grumbled, entering the squad room, coffee in hand.

'_Come on, why didn't I see that coming?' _Tony thought to himself.

Gibbs promptly smacked Tony's head, followed by McGee's in an attempt to bring him back to this world, which only partially worked. He didn't touch Ziva as he left the room once more.

"Gibbs, we need to talk," she called.

He stopped. "You want me to slap you too, David?"

"No, but..." she looked at Tony, and then back at Gibbs. "We cannot work like this, Gibbs. In a world where you constantly doubt our investigative ability because of the fact that we are, dare I say it, in love."

"You know what, Ziva, I have Rule Number 12 because I don't want there to be trouble when a relationship between two agents doesn't work out and I'm left with a mess of a team that's coming undone at the seams."

"Gibbs, I can assure you that—"

"Let me finish. However, I don't think that applies in your case."

"What?"

"I've always been reminded of myself when I look at Tony, and you remind me so much of Jenny when we were partners. Look after each other; don't take each other for granted. Don't screw it up like I did." And with that, Gibbs was gone, leaving everyone dumbstruck.

"Did that just happen?" Tony wondered aloud.

"I think it did," McGee replied.

"I can't believe it," Ziva said.

"So you two are really...in love?"

"That's one way of putting it," Tony joked. "Yes, McGee, it's real."

"I just can't believe it, Tony," he said. "You don't _love_, you date."

Ziva watched Tony carefully for his response, but it would have been the same no matter if Ziva was present or not.

"McGee, listen hard 'cause I'm only gonna say this once: I, Very Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo, love Ziva David and everything about her. I could go on for hours elaborating on what I just told you but I won't 'cause we have an open case but I love Ziva and she loves me. It's as simple as that."

McGee looked at Ziva.

"I don't know why you're looking at me, McGee," she said. "You're going to get the same answer. I love Tony with all my heart."

"How did it happen? I mean, which one of you caved first?"

"It was kind of both of us," Tony said.

"OK, but how did you hook up? You didn't just go up to her and say 'I love you'."

Ziva smiled. "Let's just say a little birdie told me."

**A/N: **** Did you like? Was it worth the wait (sorry about that again by the way)? Please review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hello again! No, contrary to what a lot of you seem to believe, that was not the end of the story! I would tell you if it was. This one goes back to when Jenny died. Ooh, and I watched "Boxed In" last night and it rocked! It was really funny. Thanks for reviews and also to anyone who read "Symbol For Infinity", because of the major lack of Tiva in **_**Worst Nightmare **_**I have decided not to write on that episode. I have a (gut) feeling that seasons six and seven were the peaks for Tiva but hey, who knows. I just want to know what Anthony DiNozzo Sr. and Eli David want. Anyway, on with the story.**

"Thank you for the hot chocolate," Ziva said, taking a sip of the hot liquid as she lay on Tony's sofa.

"You're welcome," he replied, raising his Magnum P.I. mug and taking a swig of his own beverage.

They took one couch each—Tony simply sat while Ziva had her feet up—and drank in silence. The room was lit by only a few lamps and the TV was off. It was dark outside, probably about nine thirty.

The first sound in several minutes was the clink of Ziva's empty mug against the coffee table. Her eyes fell upon a leather-bound book, which was actually a photo album.

"What's that?" Tony asked in a low voice.

"Just goes to show you don't clean up your coffee table very much," she replied, and she was right. It was cluttered, with very few placed where you could see the table's surface. "It's a photo album."

Ziva opened it up, and saw it was full of memories. It began at the beginning of Tony's life, showing him as a beautiful, plump baby with big green eyes. Throughout his early childhood, he was always grinning in the pictures. There were not many from his teens. There were snaps from vacations he had gone on. Then there were a whole bunch of a young Tony in college and then some of him and his buddies from Baltimore. She turned the page once again to find all his photographs from NCIS. There were many of him, McGee, and Kate Todd at work and in bars and restaurants, and of course a copy of the bikini pictures.

"I should really get rid of those," Tony said, reaching for the album.

"Why?" Ziva asked him. "If it were not for the photos, we would not be where we are right now."

"Good point," he said, and she continued turning pages.

Then came his collection of photos he had taken of his co-workers at crime scenes, often with odd expressions on their faces.

Finally, at the back, there was a page with _In My Memory _written at the top. There were pictures of quite a few people, most of whom Ziva did not recognise, but two that she did: one was agent Todd and the other was dear Jenny.

"I miss Jenny," Ziva said sadly.

"So do I. But I think she would be happy for us if she was still alive."

"Remember that afternoon?"

"How could I forget? It was when I really realised that I loved you."

Ziva smiled. "Me too."

Tony sighed as he recalled that day in California.

_Tony DiNozzo's head was pounding. He didn't know if it was the worry, or maybe just the heat of the day. After all, he and his partner, Ziva David, were in the middle of a desert._

_As he drove his rental car along the dirt roads, bugs hitting the windshield and dust blowing in every direction, his anxiety grew into a fear that perhaps Ziva was right, had been right the whole time. Maybe their Director was in trouble. The Director they had been assigned to protect. Jenny was certainly hiding something from them, but now Tony wasn't so sure that something was going to go away on its own, or without doing some damage first. _

_Ziva's mood clearly wasn't too bright either. She had been silent the entire time, until they arrived at the gas station, where she responded to anything she said with a sneered comment. OK, he had to admit, those comments may have been deserved, especially by the way Tony had phrased his statements, but nevertheless, their minds were certainly close to getting on the same page._

_By the time they pulled up at what appeared to be a lone diner, both of them felt like one of Moses' Israelites who wandered the desert for forty years. Both the agents' eyes fell upon a black SUV._

"_I know I have seen that SUV before," Ziva said thoughtfully._

"_Gas station," Tony replied, his mind jumping to a million different conclusions, most of them bad. Both of them slid out of the car, guns at the ready, taking their positions on either side of the main entrance to the building. Tony peeked in and saw a blood-soaked body on the floor, gunshot wounds to the chest. Immediately he assumed the worst, and reluctantly entered. Ziva examined the main room, while Tony checked the back. It was obvious someone had put up quite a fight. Question was: where was Jenny?_

"_Tony," Ziva said, a little shakily. Tony froze. He knew Ziva, he knew that tone and he knew immediately something bad had happened. _

_That was when he saw her. The team's beloved Director lying on the wood floor, limp and lifeless. Tony didn't want to believe it. He reached for her, to try and find a pulse but he didn't. It was his fault. He should have listened to Ziva. Why did he doubt her for a second? Hot tears welled in his eyes. Tony felt a warm, soft hand on his shoulder. _

"_Tony," Ziva said in a knowing, soothing voice. "It is not your fault."_

"_I could have stopped it," he whispered, not moving._

"_No, this was the Director's fight. She told us not to get involved. Whether we followed that order or not, she would probably still be dead. It had nothing to do with us."_

"_You really believe that?"_

_She sighed and gripped his shoulder tightly. "Yes. I do not think we could have changed this."_

"_We could have shown up earlier. I should have listened to you."_

"_Perhaps you should have, but think, if we had arrived earlier it might be you or I on that floor." She knelt down next to Tony. "And despite the bad day we've had today, that is the one thing I am thankful for: that we are both OK."_

_Tony turned his head and caught Ziva's gaze. "Really?"_

"_Really."_

"_We have to call Gibbs," Tony said after a brief silence, still not moving. Then, as if it was fate, Jenny's phone rang, with Gibbs on the other end of the line. Tony answered the call, but remained silent._

"_Jenny? Jenny? Are you there?" Gibbs asked frantically._

"_It's Tony and Ziva, Boss," Tony said into the tiny speaker._

"_What are you two doing with Jenny's cell?"_

"_We...uh...well, I'm not quite sure how to tell you this..." he stammered._

"_You can start by telling me!" Gibbs said, frustrated._

"_Jenny's dead," he stated coldly._

"_I'll be right there. It'll take me a couple hours but I'm on my way," was all he said. No showing of emotion, no 'I'm sorry', no pointing the finger at either of them. _

_Ziva and Tony continued listening for a few seconds, in case Gibbs was going to say something else, but hung up when they heard the dial tone. _

_Tony sat down on the hard floor, trying to picture what he could have done to save her. It was clear that Ziva's message hadn't been enough to convince him this wasn't his fault._

"_I'm sorry," he whispered to her. "For everything today. I'm sorry for taking those photos, for forcing you to drive around LA with me, for not listening to you, for..."_

"_Tony, stop apologising," Ziva told him, taking a seat next to him. "And stop imagining what you could have done because it can no longer be done. From the many times I have experienced death in my life I have learnt that you can grieve and you can keep that person in your memory but throughout that you have to accept it. Something as powerful as death cannot be stopped and it is irreversible, no matter what action is taken."_

_Tony thought about what Ziva had just told him for a few minutes. _

"_You are a wonderful agent, Tony," she told him, placing her hand on his forearm. "You are very good at what you do. Never doubt that, because if you do then it will not be true anymore. _

"_You're just trying to distract me," he said._

"_If I was trying to distract you, then I would be lying. What I just said is nothing but truth."_

_He smiled. "I'm being selfish. Are you OK?"_

"_I will be. I'm devastated now. Jenny was such a wonderful person. It's so sad that she died and hadn't told Gibbs how she felt about him."_

"_How did she feel about him?" Tony frowned, curious, but genuinely curious, not his usual snooping through other people's business._

"_Wasn't it obvious? The looks they shared, their history as partners, how close they were...she loved him."_

"_Did she tell you that?"_

"_In one way or another, she told me she was very fond of Gibbs, before I joined NCIS and we were working anti-terrorist ops. But after that, we didn't talk so much and weren't as close. But she did tell me that if anything had happened early on, Gibbs would have initiated it."_

"_No way, you're kidding." _

"_No, I'm not. She told me Gibbs was very interested in seeing her 'off the job'."_

"_Paris. That's when it must have happened."_

"_Working side-by-side, putting their lives in each other's hands every day, not to mention the long nights..."_

"_It was inevitable."_

_Instead of voicing her beliefs to him, she simply kept quiet. But he pulled her close and kissed her softly on the lips. When she pulled away after a few seconds, he thought it was to protest, but she kissed him right back, even stronger. He ran his fingers through her hair and she moaned softly._

"_Tony..." she whispered._

_He pulled away from her this time, looking her right in the eye. "I...I'm sorry, Ziva, I never should have done this." He stood up and walked outside. Ziva watched to make sure he didn't leave, but he just stood there. She figured it best to leave him alone for a while, until Gibbs arrived. Then he should be in a better state of mind. As for the kiss, she assumed it would be left alone. No one but them would ever know about it, and it would not change their future in any way._

"Boy was I wrong about _that_," Ziva said, laughing a little.

"Yeah, you sure were."

"I love you."

"I know. I love you too."

**A/N: I know the ending kinda sucked, but there's another chapter. Please, please review? I have an idea for another chapter, which will hopefully feature Marcus again. **


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Wow, it's been like a month since I updated. Sorry! Well, anyway, I am going to do ten chapters in all.**

For a while, life was easy. For almost three months, everything was perfect. Tony and Ziva saw each other most nights, and one of them spent the night at the other's house at least twice a week. Cases came and went, crime scene photos were taken, leads were followed, and suspects were interrogated. None of them had experienced life as simple and peaceful as this in a long time.

But even with this easy living, both Tony and Ziva were still themselves, still baiting each other, playing pranks, jokes, and that was what made life interesting.

On this rainy Friday night, Tony, Ziva and McGee were in the bullpen, pretending to do case work. The boys were both playing computer games and Ziva was loading songs onto her iPod.

"What do you guys have planned for the weekend?" McGee asked, just having run out of lives.

"It's date night," Tony replied, concentrating hard on his computer.

"You mean it _was," _Ziva corrected. "It's almost ten, and our reservations were at nine."

"Is that the time?" Tony asked as he checked his watch and closed the game, also out of lives. "Damn, I was really looking forward to dinner."

"Maybe we can just stay in. Get some pizza, watch a movie..."

"That sounds nice. My place or yours?"

"Guys!" McGee interrupted. "I'm still here, you know."

"Yes, I noticed, McGee," Ziva said, frowning. "Does our talk of a date night make you uncomfortable?"

"Get over it, McLonesome," Tony snapped.

Ziva stood up, pushed her chair over to the boys' desks and sat down.

"I think we all need to talk. McGee, you clearly have some issues with this."

McGee wasn't sure what to say when he felt the gazes of his co-workers burning his skin.

"I...I'm just not used to you guys being so...casual with your relationship."

"The deep important stuff is still there, McGee, it's just that we've both accepted the fact that we wanna be in this for the long run."

"You say it like it's so simple," Tim said worriedly.

Ziva put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, McGee, you'll find someone, and then you will be as happy as we are."

"But I like myself. I don't want to change. Love has changed both of you completely."

"We're still ourselves," Tony said. "It's just that now we have each other."

Tim rolled his eyes and returned to his work, but Ziva stayed, leaning on her partner's desk.

"You need something, Zee-vah?" he asked, stretching her name out deliberately.

She shifted so she was now fully sitting on the desk with one leg crossed over the other. The hand she was supporting herself with brushed against Tony's, and even a simple touch between them made it nearly impossible for them to keep their hands off each other.

However, with incredible control, the two settled for a simple stare, which as always took them into another world. Neither of them heard the elevator or saw their boss step out of it.

"Uh, guys?" McGee said, in a sad attempt to bring them out of their trance. "Guys!"

Their heads snapped towards him and they realised what was happening. All three of them scrambled up towards the plasma. They opened their mouths to speak, but Gibbs cut them off.

"I don't wanna hear it. But you do probably hear what I've got to say."

"What is it, Boss?" Tony asked.

"News from the Seahawk."

Gibbs watched his senior field agent's face fall. "Oh. How nice of the boys to keep in touch. Did they send a postcard?"

"No. Petty Officer Marcus Bird."

"What about him?" Ziva asked.

"He's dead."

The lovers now sported shocked expressions.

"I can't believe this," Tony murmured.

Ziva squeezed his hand comfortingly. The circumstances made the touch kind and sensitive.

"How?" McGee asked.

"Natural causes."

"Oh, so we don't have a case?"

"Ducky will need to do an autopsy to confirm the cause of death, but if they're right, then no."

"Gibbs," Ziva said, shaking her head. "He was our reason for being together."

"I know. Believe me, I know."

"We owed so much to him and we...we never thanked him."

"He was the only guy who'd put up with me on that damn ship," Tony said.

Gibbs took a deep breath. "I know he meant a lot to both of you."

The two agents nodded and returned to work, not knowing what else to do.

...

It was cold that night. Tony and Ziva huddled up together on the sofa. They were both silently grieving Marcus, but Ziva suddenly kissed Tony.

"What was that for?" he asked, almost smiling a little.

"Do I have to have a reason?" she replied.

"It's just that...I don't know if Marcus would want us grieving like this."

"He's almost completely responsible for our relationship, Tony."

They both suddenly had a want for each other, and kissed again, this time more intense. He ran fingers through her hair and she pushed him back onto the sofa, hungry for more. Their tongues fought each other. Eventually they ventured into the bedroom, where the rest of night was spent.

As the sun peeked through a chink in the curtains the next morning, Ziva woke in Tony's arms.

"Oh, you're awake," he said, almost cheerfully.

"How long have you been?" she asked in reply.

"Only about ten minutes."

Ziva flipped around and gave him a sweet, good-morning kiss, stroking his cheek.

"I know I am going to regret saying this, but you know what's amazing about kissing you?"

"Everything?"

"That I can never quite believe it's you."

"Ziva, I've been thinking..."

"That's never a good sign."

"We should move in together."

**A/N: Reviews would be good! : ) **


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Sorry this took so long. This will be the second-last chapter, if all goes as planned. This chapter picks up exactly where the last one left off.**

_Last time..._

"_Ziva, I've been thinking..."_

"_That's never a good sign."_

"_We should move in together."_

Ziva shifted to look up at her boyfriend, almost smiling, but she said nothing.

"I want to take this next step with you, Ziva," Tony said, stroking her hair. "And I'm not afraid of anything when it comes to us, because I know I don't want anyone but you, for life."

The Israeli kneeled up, wrapping the duvet around her bare body, leaving Tony very much out in the open. "Tony...we've only been going out for—"

"I know," he interrupted. "But what's the point in waiting? I mean, I'm not going anywhere, are you?"

She chuckled and kissed him tenderly. "No, I'm staying right here."

"Then it's settled. We start looking for a house."

"When?" she asked, stretching and yawning.

"Well, it's Sunday. Let's go for a drive, look for some."

"Breakfast first." Ziva settled back onto his chest.

Tony nodded, slipping out of bed from under Ziva's weight, and pulled on some boxer shorts. He strolled into the kitchen and started up the stove. "How many eggs, Sweet Cheeks?" he called to her.

"Two please," she said, getting up out of bed herself and putting on her robe.

Ziva walked into the kitchen, enjoying the feeling of the tiles on her bare feet, and stood on her tiptoes to rest her chin on his shoulder. "So, you're OK with the whole...Marcus thing?"

Tony's heart sank when he remembered the death of his friend. "Yeah," he nodded. He was OK. He was going to miss Marcus, but he was OK.

They ate breakfast almost in silence, mostly because both of them were starving and too busy eating to talk. Ziva finished first and went off to have a shower.

After the rather busy and sweaty night Ziva and Tony had had, it felt good to have the hot water trickling onto Ziva's skin. When she did finally turn the water off the bathroom was full of steam and the mirror had fogged up. She then ventured in a towel from the bathroom to the bedroom to locate some clean clothes. She pulled on her pants from yesterday and her boots and a bra but was worried when she couldn't find a shirt. Not afraid of Tony seeing her exposed anymore, she walked into the kitchen where Tony was doing dishes. He let out a low wolf whistle when he saw her in nothing more than her black lacy bra.

"Have you seen my shirt?" she asked seriously.

"No..." he said distractedly. She clicked in front of his face, and indicated that he was still wearing nothing but his boxer shorts. They stared at each other for a moment but their heads snapped towards the back door when they heard absent-minded yelling.

"Crap!" Tony shouted.

They heard a door open and the sounds became very clear: "Guys! Gibbs needs you at the..."

It was McGee, standing there, in the kitchen, Tony in his underwear and Ziva in a bra. McGee couldn't help but gawk at them. Tony and Ziva froze with embarrassment and McGee stared and stared. Tony was the first to break the silence.

"So, Gibbs needs us at the office?"

"Uh...yeah, we have, um, a..." McGee stammered, staring at Ziva's chest.

"A case, McGee?" Ziva asked as if she was fully clothed.

"Yeah," he nodded.

"OK, go, leave!" Tony said, shooing him away with his hand.

"I've got a car, you guys want a lift?"

"Sure," Ziva said. "If you stop staring at my chest."

He nodded robotically and left the room, his cheeks flushing like wildfire.

"Well, McGee just saw a part of me that I really didn't want him to see," Ziva said.

"Look on the bright side," Tony said. Ziva looked at him both sceptically and expectantly. "You made a loveless geek very happy."

...

House hunting, it turned out, took a lot of effort, especially with their jobs. For a few weeks, they drove around looking at houses for sale in their free time, but finally, they found one they liked. It was small, but not too small. It had three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a fireplace. It was close to work; and shortened both their commutes severely. It was perfect.

It was Ziva's job to take care of the interior decorating, and she did a damn good job of it too, especially on such a budget. She got new sofas, a dining table, decorative pictures for the walls, a coffee table and a new bed for the couple. After two days of moving in they were finally settled in their new home.

Of course, Abby was the first to visit with a housewarming gift (and actually the only one) and she brought them a photo collage of the team that she had made.

"Oh, Abby, it's a beautiful gift," Ziva said, placing the photo carefully on the table and giving her friend a hug. "Tony, we need to hang this somewhere...above the fireplace?"

"I'll grab a hook and some nails," Tony said, heading up to the attic where he kept the few tools he owned.

When the picture was expertly hung for all to see and Abby was satisfied with its position, she left, leaving the two alone.

"I can't believe we have a house together," Tony said, grinning. "Just a little while ago we were nothing but co-workers lying to ourselves about our feelings and now look at us."

**A/N: OK, I know it was short-ish, my mind is going a million miles an hour and all I can think about is the Boy In Striped Pyjamas. I just watched it for the first time *tear*. Anyway, I would love a review.**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: FINAL CHAPTER :'( I'm a little sad to see this story go. Thanks a million billion trillion to everyone who has reviewed, read, favourited or alerted this story. I love you all! I tried to make it long at exciting so hope you like it! PS took part of the plot from one of my failed stories. But only a tiny bit!**

"How could you do this to me?" Ziva screamed, storming through the house trying to get away from Tony.

"Sweetie, I—" he tried to calm her, unsuccessfully.

"Don't 'sweetie' me, Tony. I thought you loved me, I thought you were serious about us."

"I _am._"

"Oh, _please,_ if you were then we wouldn't be having this conversation, would we?" She stopped walking and looked him right in the eyes with a dagger stare.

"But—"

"You know, I should have known. I may have fallen for you but you're still the same man with commitment issues, with a new girlfriend every few weeks. You haven't changed."

Tony grabbed Ziva's wrist, harshly, tightly enough to bruise. "Listen to me, David, because I'm only gonna say this once: I have changed. And if you think so little of me that you assume I'd leave you then I don't want to be a part of this relationship anymore."

They stood there a few moments, panting, Ziva's wrist aching.

"Fine," Ziva snarled.

Tony wanted to cry, to beg for her to change her mind, to let him explain everything, but his damn pride got the better of him. He stormed out the door, slamming it so hard that a picture came off the wall and smashed. A photo of them together. Ziva smashed her fist angrily against the wall, bursting into tears.

_12 Hours Earlier..._

After nearly a month of not exercising, Ziva's body seemed to welcome a ten mile run through the park near her place. It was a lovely day. The sun was shining and the grass was an almost unnaturally healthy shade of green. In short shorts and a tank top she jogged casually down the path, her iPod blasting music into her ears.

Clearly she wasn't the only one who decided it was a nice morning for a jog. There were joggers everywhere, most of the women in sports bras. It was comforting that she was at least modest.

...

Sitting on a bench in that very same park was Tony DiNozzo. With a box of chocolates in his lap, waiting for Ziva to take her to breakfast. He couldn't help thinking of the movie Forrest Gump.

He was enjoying the easy sights of the park when he heard panting beside him. A woman, probably twenty-five, blonde, thin, a little sweaty.

"Gone for a run?" he asked, pressing the 'send' button on a text to Ziva that said, _'Meet me at the park bench near the playground'._

But when he turned to face the woman, he realised he recognised her.

"Tony?" she asked, smiling.

"Hi Diane," he said awkwardly. The woman who never seemed to understand the word 'no'. "How have you been?"

"Fine. I've been trying to call you for months but for some reason the numbers are blocked from my cell and home phone."

"Oh...uh, yeah I gotta talk to the phone company about that. Thanks for reminding me." He had had McGee block the number before he left for the USS Ronald Reagan.

"So...what do you say we grab a little breakfast?" She bit her lip, and winked. "After all, we have so much to catch up on."

She leaned in and kissed Tony on the lips, making Tony drop the box of chocolates he had been holding. He was about to push her away, but then he remembered one tiny detail: she had a black belt in karate, and was triggered _very _easily. Making the wrong move now might result in severe injuries.

Now in a great mood, Ziva was approaching the park bench Tony had been talking about. But she stopped dead in her tracks when she saw him _kissing that woman! _

She wanted to explode; to throw something heavy at him; to shoot him, even, but she couldn't. Not here at least. Especially since the team were in the middle of a case. No, she would wait until tonight, and deal with him then. For now, she sent him a text back saying, _Can't meet u, gotta take a shower and get 2 work, _and sprinted home as fast as she could.

When Tony's phone vibrated, it was a reasonable excuse for him to pull away from Diane. When he read the text, it didn't occur to him that she had seen the kiss, so he decided to try and leave because he no longer had any business at the park.

"Look, Diane, I uh..." he needed a good lie. "I'm a widower." He tried to look sad. "She died last month. I'm sorry, I'm just so _confused._" He buried his head in his hands for effect.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Diane patted his back, not really sure what to do. "I should go."

Tony watched her walk away, waiting until she was completely gone, then set off for work.

...

All day, Ziva avoided Tony. She tried to focus on solving the case. Whenever there was a job to do, she volunteered. She was only in the same room with him when absolutely necessary, and when she was, she was completely focused on the case. She tried to talk in the least words possible, all because she knew it wouldn't take much to remind her of the pain she had felt that morning; the betrayal, the hurt, the rage, it was all bubbling inside of her, and soon she had to let it out.

When it finally came for the time to arrive home, Ziva didn't hold back.

_Present time..._

When Ziva cried, it was contained; whimpers and sobs were the most you got out of her. But not this time. This was pure howling, which lasted almost an hour, by which time she could no longer speak because her throat was so sore. She had cuts on her hands from the broken glass from the picture that had smashed. She had loved Tony with all her heart, and he had shattered it, just like the picture. She wished so badly that it hadn't happened but she realised the reality that it _did _happen and there was nothing she could do about it. Her phone had been ringing non-stop with the special ringtone that Tony had set for his calls only: _I Think I Love You _by the Partridge Family. It only made more tears fall. She simply sent Abby a message: _Help. _

Tony crashed the night in the cheapest hotel he could find. He didn't know how long this was going to last and was for too tired to go on a hotel hunt now. He was so upset not even alcohol would help now. He loved Ziva more than anything in the world, and now she hated him. He had broken her heart, something he had never wanted to do. He wanted to tell her what had happened, even though she probably wouldn't believe it, but she wasn't answering his calls. He collapsed onto the hard hotel mattress, fully clothed, clutching the photo of Ziva he kept in his wallet, tears blurring his vision, and stared at it until the small hours of the morning.

...

"Ziva! Ziva, where are you?" Abby called from the front door. Ziva didn't answer. Abby stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the Israeli sitting by the back door, broken glass surrounding her, a bruised wrist, and cuts on her hands.

"Oh my God, Ziva, what happened?" Abby asked, knowing it must have been really terrible to make her this upset.

"It's Tony..." she whispered hoarsely. "I..." she could barely bring herself to say it. "I think we broke up."

Abby took the crying girl into her arms. "Shh, Ziva, I'll take care of you. Come on, let's get you cleaned up, then we'll talk about it."

Abby got Ziva a box of super soft tissues and a glass of water while she tended to the wounds on her hands. She got all the glass out with a pair of tweezers and cleaned the cuts and bandaged them up neatly. She made some chicken soup for Ziva's throat and pulled her out some comfy PJs.

"Thank you, Abby," Ziva said when her voice was somewhat working again.

"What are friends for?" Abby said as Ziva slipped on loose cotton pyjama pants and a tank top. "So, can you tell me what happened?"

Ziva was hesitant at first, knowing that the story would make her cry again, which she informed Abby of, and she simply said that she couldn't help unless she knew the whole story.

So Ziva told her everything, from the park, to what happened at work to the fight. Abby was overwhelmed by it all.

"You mean _he _did this?" she asked, gently lifting her bruised wrist. Ziva nodded meekly. "We gotta tell Gibbs."

"Abby, no," Ziva stopped her. "It's three in the morning. He's probably asleep or drunk on bourbon."

"Fine, but you're not going to work tomorrow, and I'm staying with you."

"Abby, we have an open case." She sniffed.

"Don't worry, Ziva," Abby said, putting a hand on her friend's shoulder. "We'll get through this, one way or another."

...

Perfectly aware of the time, Tony called Gibbs. He didn't know who else to go to. McGee didn't know squat about relationships and Ziva had probably already recruited Abby. Gibbs had lost _four _wives. If there was anyone to go to about breakups, it was Gibbs.

A groggy, half-asleep Gibbs answered the cell. "Whaddaya want, DiNozzo?"

"_I screwed it up, Boss_," Tony whispered into the phone.

Gibbs sat up in bed, snapping to attention. "What're you talking about?"

"_I left...Ziva...we...I..."_

"You broke up."

Tony sniffed through the phone.

"Oh God, DiNozzo."

"_It wasn't my fault, Gibbs_!"

"Never is."

"_But it wasn't! I was waiting for her in the park and this crazy ex of mine came up to me and kissed me!"_

"Why didn't you stop it?"

"_She's got a black belt in karate and she uses it any chance she gets. Come on, Boss, you gotta believe me."_

"How'd Ziva take it?"

"_Badly. And I hurt her. I didn't mean to, I just grabbed her wrist too hard."_

"She OK?" Gibbs asked frantically.

"_Far as I know. Look, Gibbs, please just help me. Talk to her, tell her how much I love her and how sorry I am. She's probably got Abby over there but you're the only one who can really reach her right now."_

"Tony, give it a little time. I'll go over there tomorrow, first thing, OK? I'm sure Abby will look after her until then."

"_OK. Thanks Gibbs."_

...

Abby stayed the night at Ziva's, on the sofa just in case she needed her.

But Ziva couldn't sleep. By five in the morning, the darkness was inching away a tiny bit more every minute, she wanted to get out of there, she wanted to run.

She didn't want to talk to anyone, so she left her phone on the nightstand, knowingly breaking Rule 3. She couldn't run through the park; the scene of the crime. She ran down street, sprinting as far away from the house as she could get. Finding the sidewalks annoying to run on because of all the cracks that she was constantly tripping over, she ran on the road. There were hardly any cars out this early. When one passed by, she would simply move towards the gutter and it would drive past.

But one car didn't. It came speeding round a corner and a blur of colours was the last thing Ziva saw.

...

When Tony heard his cell ring at six the next morning, he assumed it was Gibbs. But when he saw the caller ID was another number, one he didn't recognise, he panicked.

"Hello?" he answered, trying to sound awake.

"_Is this Anthony DiNotso_?" a woman said, pronouncing his last name wrong.

"It's DiNozzo," he corrected, yawning. "Who is this?"

"My name is Mary-Lee James and I work at Bethesda Naval Hospital. I have you listed as an emergency contact for..." Mary-Lee consulted her patient list. "Ziva David."

Tony almost dropped the phone. His heart sped up to a rate so fast that he thought he might need treatment.

"What's wrong? Is she OK? What happened?"

"Please calm yourself, Mr DiNozzo."

"No, you tell me what happened to her!"

"She was hit by a speeding car this morning—"

That was all Tony heard before he hung up and raced out of his hotel, leaving his credit card with the receptionist.

He called a cab and, luckily, it was there within minutes. Tony promised the driver extra if he could go a little above the speed limit. The man nodded understandingly and drove a la Gibbs as crazily fast as possible to the hospital. Upon their arrival, Tony handed the driver two hundred dollars cash from his wallet and told him to keep the change. He raced in and was relieved that the first desk he came across had a woman baring a nametag with 'Mary-Lee' written on it.

"What room is Ziva David in?" he yelled, not caring that the few people in the waiting room could hear him.

"I'm sorry, Mr DiNozzo," Mary-Lee said, automatically knowing who it was. "Miss David is in emergency. Only family members are permitted."

"I'm the only family she's got!"

"Oh, so you're related?"

"No, but her dad's all the way in Israel and doesn't care about her and her mom's dead and she killed her half-brother and her sister was killed in a Hamas bombing when she was sixteen."

"That's a...very touching story Mr DiNozzo but I'm afraid I can't break hospital protocol. You'll just have to wait."

"She's gonna be OK, right?"

"I haven't received a condition yet."

Tony slumped into the waiting room, not being able to concentrate on anything but Ziva. For hours, he tried to distract himself with magazines and posters on the walls but it didn't work. Then finally, _finally, _a doctor called him over.

"Are you Mr DiNozzo?" the doctor asked. He was bald and African-American. "I'm Dr. Scott."

"Yeah, Doc, that's me. Is she OK?" Tony had no time to laugh at the name, since he loved the Rocky Horror Picture Show.

"She will be. That car hit her hard. She was lucky to survive. She has two broken ribs and a skull fracture and a broken tibia bone. There's bruising to a lot of her body but as far as we can tell, she's fine. No memory loss, no brain damage."

"When can I see her?"

"Now, if you'd like. But she won't be one hundred percent."

"I know."

Tony rushed into the hospital room where Ziva, his Ziva, was lying on a white hospital bed, covered in bandages and her leg was in a cast.

"Ziva," he gasped when he saw her.

"Tony." She sounded weak and tired, like all she wanted to do was fall asleep and never wake up. "What happened?"

"You were in a car accident. But you're OK now."

"Who called an ambulance?"

Tony bit his lip, looking at Dr. Scott, who consulted his clipboard.

"It was the driver of the car apparently," he said. "Janine Evans. You know her?"

Both shook their heads.

"OK, I'll give you folks a minute."

He exited, and Tony looked at the bruise on Ziva's wrist.

"I know you're sorry," she sighed. "But I don't know if I can forgive you, Tony. What you did was terrible."

"You never heard my side of the story, Ziva, please just hear me out."

She looked at him expectantly.

"The woman you saw, her name is Diane. We went out for about two months last year. I tried to break up with her because it really wasn't going anywhere and she...she completely kicked my ass. She has a black belt in karate, Ziva. Anyway, she was in the park and sat next to me on the bench, where I was waiting to take you to breakfast and she came onto me. I was gonna try to break it off but then I realised if I was too harsh she'd kick my ass again and I didn't want that happening again, especially not in public. Look, Ziva, the truth is maybe we're not meant to be together, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try. I love you more than anything in this world and I know you love me too, right?"

"Right. And I believe you, Tony. I can tell when you're lying. Every word of that was the truth."

He carefully crept to Ziva's side and kissed her bruised cheek.

"Please, Tony," she said. "Let's not fight again. I don't think I can take it a second time."

He chuckled. "I promise. But I gotta call Gibbs. I was too busy worrying about you to remember."

Tony touched her hand and looked right into her eyes, and somehow every single little piece of Ziva's shattered heart fell back into place.

_One Year Later..._

"I've been thinking about names, Tony," Ziva said as she sat on the couch, flicking through a magazine, her large belly protruding from her maternity t-shirt.

"Oh yeah?" Tony asked, sitting next to her, an arm around her shoulders. "Well, that's good, because you're due in two weeks. What name are you thinking of?"

"Well, I was thinking we could name our son Marcus."

Tony's eyes widened. "Really?"

Ziva shrugged. "I don't know where we would be without him. Certainly not where we are now. What do you think?"

Tony patted her belly. "You like that, son? Marcus?"

He was overjoyed when he felt his baby kick.

"Marcus Anthony DiNozzo," Ziva said, kissing Tony on the cheek.

**...**

**A/N: That's the end, folks! I hope you liked the last chapter and the story overall. Oh, and to fione.s.t, I know I agreed with you that Ziva wouldn't get pregnant but for the sake of the story I thought it might make a cute ending. Thanks so much for reading! :)**


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